Sent Away
by ShakespearianNerd
Summary: (Year: 1864) During his pursuit for Katerina, Klaus comes across a stunningly beautiful damsel in distress. Will he follow where she goes, or stay with the mundane task of torturing Katerina?
1. The Watcher

** Sent Away:** _Chapter One_

Sometimes life doesn't go as you planned it. Bill Forbes had always looked forward to seeing his daughter walk down the aisle, handing her off to a responsible gentleman who could protect her, and take care of her. As a child she had been particularly close to Stefan Salvatore, and a part of William always hoped that his daughter would one day share the boy's last name, even if it were Italian. Sometimes when he is alone, he thinks about the youngest Salvatore and he dreams that Emily Bennett had never decided to come to his home.

There was a time when William would walk down the street and be kind to everyone he met, but now people avoided him as if he was smallpox itself. At first he missed seeing friendly faces, but now there was nothing about the people of Mystic Falls that he would ever want to associate with. They were all willfully ignorant of the evils around them, a werewolf or vampire would kill, and they would hand him an alibi on a silver platter. Witches said they only cared about balance, but their trickery made William uneasy. Witches tended to serve to no side of the war against evil; in Bill's mind they were just as bad as any other non-human.

Every time the sky goes grey, William remembers _that_ night. The storm outside thrashed and howled, demanding that no creature left their domain. He was just about to turn in for the night when he heard a harsh knocking at the door. Having been the only one up at that hour, he opened his home to see a woman in a dark cloak. He couldn't place her right away, but he believed her to be one of the servants for the newcomers in town.

"Good evening Mr. Forbes, I am sorry to call on you so late, but I have news about your daughter and it is of the utmost importance." Her words suggested urgency but her tone was flat and uninterested, as if she showed up simply because she had nothing better to do.

Normally he would not welcome someone whom he did not know into his home, the last thing he needed was to unknowingly allow a vampire to kill his only child in the one place she could be safe. William had seen this woman walking in the sun, and she appeared to have bought several unusual herbs at the store the day before, this led William to believe that this creature was a witch. Had it not been for his daughter, he may have turned her into the council right then and there, but since it was he indicated for her to follow into her study.

"Talk, but make it brief, your kind are not welcomed here," he snapped.

"Very well. Last night I received a vision of the most peculiar nature," her voice grew distant as she spoke, "Caroline will not truly reach her 18th birthday, but instead she will spend the rest of her eternity as the very thing you hate the most. In the end you will see that is results from one man, a man she thought she knew…" Her voice trailed away until it was barely audible. Her words lacked theatricality, and that made it all the more eerie.

There was one thing that Emily kept to herself, however that was because it was not up to her. She was indebted to Katherine, but that didn't mean she had to like it. With any luck William Forbes would create a mob that would rid the town of all vampires, and she'd finally be free. For now she just had to return to Ms. Pierce, knowing very well that the truth Mr. Forbes just learned, could very well destroy him.

"Why are you telling me this?" He demanded.

Emily Bennett just gave him a knowing smile, and slowly she left his home.

William just stood there empty. How could the very thing he loved more than anything in the world turn into the only thing he truly despised? Vampires were the lowest of the low, for werewolves and witches often had no choice in what they were, but Vampires reveled in their unnecessary evil, having no excuse for the abomination that they were. William had to get his daughter away, protect her until this foretold future had passed, lock her away from any and every man until the day she turned 18. If he failed, surely, he would have to kill her himself.

* * *

Niklaus Mikaelsen never thought he would see the day that he grew bored with cat and mouse. Why Katerina chose such a little boring town of no value to hide in dumbfounded Niklaus. If she were to die (which she would) at his hand, should it not be in a place of consequence? Killing the wench wasn't enough for Klaus though, he needed to make her suffer, make her feel as though she had finally found a home, a way out, and then he'd let her watch as her whole world came crashing down around her.

Someone needed to up the stakes in this chase, for he had been taunting and torturing Ms. Petrova (or Pierce as she liked to be called now) for the past few centuries, and everything was stating to feel routine. After all, he didn't want Katerina to feel as though she was free. He'd keep an eye on the last doppelgänger, and then when she reached true ecstasy, he'd destroy her.

From his place behind the shrubbery Klaus watched as she toyed with the two brothers. Her behavior as a vampire was far more like Tatia now. As a human she valued love and life, now all she cared for was survival. Knowing that he stripped her of her most basic compassions brought Niklaus pleasure.

Something pulled his attention away from the traitor and her gentlemen. It sounded like a scream, and someone was crying. These were both sounds Klaus was accustom to, of course, but what could possible be going wrong in such a small inconsequential town as this? His victims were dead and buried in a place that would take the humans at least a century to find, so he knew that the sounds of distress were not on his accord. The noise continued, it was definitely a girl's voice, and he'd rarely heard such anguish, even on his most cruel of occasions. He pried himself from his hiding spot and flashed to where the noise was coming from.

"Daddy, please, don't make me go, I'll be better I promise. Don't you love me?" The girl cried and pleaded at the man who was holding her against his chest.

"Of course I do baby girl, that is why I have to send you away, just for a little while, away from any man who could possibly hurt you." His voice was far away, and _even_ Niklaus could tell that this was one of the hardest things that man had ever had to do.

As the girl continued her pleas, Klaus examined her. She was blond with wavy hair, not truly curly, but definitely not straight, and it was the color of the palest and softest honeycomb. Her figure was slight, but pleasing, and she wore a pale blue dress that made her skin look fragile like porcelain. As she trashed in her father's arms, Klaus knew she had a fire in her, and as she squirmed she was finally able to turn around.

He knew it was impossible, for he was well hidden, but her eyes seemed to bore right through him. Even though they were filled with tears her blue eyes held love and compassion. Her face was beautiful and soft, as though she could forgive even the most horrible of monsters.

Her father threw her into the waiting carriage, and with that she was gone.

She was heading to a place far away, but her father didn't know that the one monster that he and his daughter should fear above all else was going to follow her. Perhaps this small town wasn't going to be as boring as he first perceived.


	2. An Encounter

**Sent Away:** _Chapter Two_

This was not her room. It was humid, damp, and tacky, but it most definitely did not belong to her. The dreams that had occupied her mind just moments before left behind a groggy feeling, so when the memories came flooding back, she couldn't keep in all of the ornery tears that fought their way out of her eyes.

How could her own father say he loved her, yet still lock her away? "I'm protecting you Caroline," he had said, "I love you," he declared, "This is for the best," he had promised. How could being isolated from everyone that she cared about be even remotely good for her? After all didn't humans have some biological need to interact with their peers? Instead here she was trapped in a repugnant little cottage that was currently serving as her jail cell. She was God knows where, and all she could seem to be able to do was cry.

A snapping of a twig from outside brought her out of it. _Well_, she thought to herself, _if he wants me to stay here, fine, but no more Daddy's little girl_. If he wanted her gone, then he was going to regret it. She'd never been rebellious before, but the freedom of going against the grain brought a new speed to her heart, and new light to her eyes. She dragged herself out of the moist sheets, and scouted her new home, looking for a way out.

Creating her own tornado, she tore around the tiny bedroom, looking for a change of clothes, until she finally came across a closet. It contained all of her clothes from back home, along with at least a dozen new garments. "Unbelievable," she grumbled to herself. If her father thought he could buy her forgiveness, then he had another thing coming. She pulled on the most expensive looking dress and stormed out of the room.

The bedroom opened into a makeshift kitchen, which bordered a tiny sitting area, and there just across from where she now stood was they key to freedom: the front door. Nearly tripping on her own feet she scurried to the door, only to see a note attached to the handle.

_ My Dearest Caroline,_

_ Please forgive me; this is truly for your safety. When I have eliminated the dangers here in Mystic Falls you can come home to me, but until then you must stay at the cabin. There will be food for you to eat, and a bed for you to sleep in, so you have nothing to worry about. Go outside if you see it fit, the landscape is incredible, but whatever you do. I beg of you, do not try to run away. There isn't anyone around where you are for at least a hundred miles, and I don't want to lose you._

_ I love you,_

_ Your Father_

Caroline let out a puff of air, crumbled up the note and threw it across the room. "He doesn't want to lose me?" She said to herself, "well he already has."

One part of the note taunted her…at least 100 miles? Had she really been unconscious that long, vaguely she could remember being bumped around in a carriage, being carried like a child, asking for help, but none of it seemed real. Had her father put something in her food? "No." She gasped. He may be a little off his rocker right now, but he would never do that to her, right?

With one final look at her new prison, she turned the knob on the front door and stepped outside.

* * *

Niklaus was a hunter; born to his mother as a reminder of the mistake she would always regret, he was raised to believe there was something wrong with him, and not the world he lived in. From a young age he knew there was something odd about him, he was unlike the other boys in the village. Angrier perhaps, as if one day every little thing would just be too much and he would lose it. Many of the young males with which Klaus had grown up with had talked about their great adventures of when their dad first allowed them to go on a hunting trip, yet none of the stories were quite like what Nik had experienced.

His father, or rather stepfather (although he did not know that at the time), had only taken him out to hunt once. Mikael was a proud man; a man that would never let anyone beat him. Nor had it ever occurred to him that his wife could be unfaithful, which was why for the first few years, Mikael had tried to put up the front of "caring parent".  
When Niklaus was all to young to even think about hunting, Mikael decided that now would be the time to take him out; humiliate the boy for his lack of skill and put him in his place. As soon as Nick entered the woods, however, something took over, a natural predatory instinct that could not be held back. No deer would survive his wrath that day, and when he returned to the village, every soul would know the tales of his gift.

A good hunter knows how to be patient. Patience is a deadly virtue. If you can remain quiet long enough, and have the discipline to keep your body still, your chance of killing your prize is almost definite.

From inside the puny shack he could hear a commotion, he cursed himself for accidentally snapping that bloody twig, it was the move of an amateur, and he was definitely more than experienced. He leaned forward on his perch in the great oak tree; there was nothing that could surpass him. After he'd completed his transformation as a vampire, there was not one person that could arm him, well almost. His own father was the only person in this world with the ability to drag him to his demise. The last few centuries had been a struggle, but at end of the day he was alive, or at least undead.

Using every skill he had ever acquired in his never ending years on this Earth, he peered closer. This girl, Caroline, as he had heard someone call her, was rather different. It sounded as though she was tearing the little home apart, all the while grumbling to herself. She was in chaos, crying, yelling, and screaming, all with as much energy as though she could go on for days. The fire inside of her would've been enough to start 1,000 revolutions. There was not a single part of his body that wasn't tuned into the hunt. Using every malicious virtue he had, he knew he would obtain his prey. This Caroline never stood a chance.

With a sharp click and a swift motion the front door opened, and outstepped little Miss. Sunshine. Now the games would truly begin.

* * *

Oxygen. Fresh air, who would've thought it would be so important? Of course Caroline always knew that she _had_ to breath, but after being shut up in that musty cabin for who knows how long, any form of clean was a relief. Her father was right, the place surrounding the putrid housing was beautiful, and she stood still for a moment awe struck. Who would've though that here in the deep dark forest, she could find beauty? Caroline felt connected to every single living creature in the woods; tucked away and untouched by humanity, this was a safe haven from the modern world.

Maybe her father really was trying to do right by her? Perhaps she wouldn't need to seek some sort of revenge against him, but then again, what about her friends? As she walked down to the glorious stream that lay down hill from her cabin, she pondered "How can I live my life out here?" Back home she'd been on top of the world, every girl wanted to be her or befriend her, and every guy wanted to court her, but out here she was nothing. No longer was she a big fish in a small pond, but the only fish in an empty one.

She was about to have yet another crying fit when her heart stopped.

"Hello, love." A voice said from behind her.


	3. The Proposition

**Sent Away: Chapter 3**

"Hello, love." A voice said from behind her.

She didn't look, she didn't move, she didn't breathe.

"I promise I'm not a serial killer," the voice spoke again, "just turn around."

Slowly she stiffly turned to meet his gaze.

Blue. His eyes were a dark blue, as if they were filled with storm clouds ready to erupt at any moments. His hair was a darker blonde, and his full lips were pulled into a smug smile as he appraised her reaction. With his back leaning against a tree, he went to speak again.

"Who are you? What are you doing out here?" Caroline demanded; cutting him off before he would realize how truly terrified she was.

The man's brow furrowed, this was certainly not the way a normal lady would react, but then again Caroline was anything but typical.

"Who are—"

"Niklaus, but you sweetheart, can call me Klaus." The man interrupted, regaining his smug demeanor.

Caroline looked him over, he didn't look like the kind of person one could justify being in the woods. He wasn't dressed in the clothes of a hunter or traveler, but rather his attire was that which would belong to someone with an expansive amount of money on their hands. With his thick British accent, and rich garments, he gave off the impression of power; this Klaus had the air of a nobleman.

"Klaus," Caroline said his name carefully, "what are you doing out here in the middle of nowhere?" Her father's words echoed in her head, there wasn't supposed to be a soul out here.

Klaus gave out a hearty laugh; stepping closer to her, he gazed into her eyes.

"Caroline," he began.

"How do you know my name?" She half asked, half screeched.

_Great_ Klaus thought to himself, _vervain,_ he shouldn't have expected that this would be simple. Ready to throw here over his shoulder and drag her with him, he was shocked when she started to walk away.

"Where are you going love?"

"Away from you." She answered simply.

She was fascinating.

"And why would you want to do a thing like that?" Klaus inquired in a playful tone.

"You are obviously not going to answer my questions, so I am going home." The last word came out more like a question than she had intended. Still, she was surprised how irrationally courageous she was being; fear did strange things to people.

"I heard you talking to yourself as I approached." Klaus said, coming up with a semi-honest answer.

_I really need to stop doing that_ Caroline thought as she continued to walk.

"I've had a long day, and I could really use the rest so if you don't mind…" she hinted.

Caroline surprised herself, why was she so comfortable with walking away from a complete stranger that had approached her alone—with no buggy in sight—in the middle of the woods?

"Oh by all means love don't mind me, just let me make a proposition." Klaus was enjoying this far more than he should; the original plan was much simpler. Take the girl, drain the girl, and watch the family disintegrate. Now Niklaus just seemed to be making it up as he went along.

With an exasperated gasp she turned around, unwilling to meet his gaze, she uttered a single word.

"No."

As she continued with the path she was on just a few minutes ago, Klaus sped up to match her pace and walk by her side.

"Come on Caroline, take a chance."

* * *

Those who knew her well enough thought Caroline was saint-like. Sure she had her faults, at times she could be overbearing, but she believed everyone could be saved. What if the man in the woods—Klaus—was telling the truth? What if he was just trying to help out a seemingly helpless woman? _No_, she told herself, _it is thoughts like those that will get you killed._

As she wandered around her little shack, she began to wonder what it would be like to say _yes_ for a change. Back home there was too much she'd lived without. In many ways she was privileged, but it was the basic human needs that she missed out on.

Growing up she had only known her mother for a short time, Elizabeth Forbes had been a modern woman in the wrong time; she didn't last long. Caroline's father had forced her to learn from her mother's mistakes, turning her into a ball of neurosis that couldn't distinguish love from lust. Her father was so willing to see her married off as soon as possible so that she could have "the life she deserved," that he hadn't seen what was really going on.

Stefan was her best friend, and Damon (although incredibly annoying) had no interest in her other than the fact that she was a woman (though at _the_ time she was just a girl). As their parents tried to force matrimony between them, it put a strain on Caroline's relationship with the brothers. She wished she could simply laugh at one of the rare jokes Stefan made without it being seen as flirting, but that was just the way things were.

Care's mind went to the last time she had seen Stefan, he was so distracted, so empty. It was as if his entire planet orbited around a new sun; a sun named Katherine Pierce. From what Caroline had seen, Ms. Pierce was fearless, and flirtatious, but in the end all she would bring was sadness to the Salvatore brothers. When she brought this to Stefan's attention, he grew angry and asked her to leave.

A tear slid down her cheek, hoping that the Stefan she knew would still be intact when she finally got back home.

* * *

Klaus was returning to his temporary house, going through the memories of the little blonde distraction he'd officially met in the forest. She wasn't as brave as she wanted him to leave, but she was strong, beautiful, and practically iridescent with the light that shone from within her eyes.

Whether she took him up on his offer to meet him at the little pond or not, Klaus knew he would see her again.

He would come out of their game victorious.


	4. Curiosity

**Sent Away:** _Chapter Four_

What had she gotten herself into? Caroline was dodging around trees as she followed Klaus's directions. He knew his way around the woods surprisingly well, and Care was not sure if she found that comforting or terrifying. After all, if he spent a lot of time in the woods, perhaps his randomly finding her was not so unlikely, yet still if he knew this forest like the back of his hand then he would have no time hiding a body.

She wasn't sure why she had decided to meet this man, if anything it would only put her in a bad situation, but still there was something to him. It was as if a thousand voices rang in her head, telling her he would either be her end or her salvation. After she had gone back to her little home, her mind wandered to the way his eyes had looked at her. They were with such an intensity one would think he was a lion waiting to separate the weakest from the pack.

Yet still with all of the danger and mystery that surrounded him, there was something else. Something Caroline could not quite put her finger on. His accent indicated that he'd already seen one hundred percent more of the world than she had, and that was endearing. Beyond what lay on the surface, there seemed to be no logical explanation for why the most sought after girl in Mystic Falls was now swatting at bugs and stepping over mud puddles to meet a strange man in the middle of the woods.

He had challenged her. Treated her her like she was more than some flimsy damsel who needed to be prompted to know what to say or how to talk. "Maybe that is because he had no interest in you _that_ way," Caroline said to herself. Yet still, she wondered, could this be the kind of epic love story that would last through her family for generations? Would her grandkids' grandkids know the tale of how she'd met her one true love?"

"Doubt it," Care grumbled to herself.

She came around the last landmark that Klaus had told her of, and stopped. The pond was beautiful, shimmering like diamonds from the noon sun. Caroline was struck with how much beauty had surrounded her. There was no telling what the world would be like if more people took the time to find places like this, and once, just once, decide not to destroy them.

Klaus had not arrived yet, but that was as Caroline had expected, she'd come early to set a trap for him. She was curious; her mind burned with the need to know what he was planning to do when he came to this clearing. If he had any sort of visible weapon, she'd bolt. But if he just looked around in anticipation, and if she could see in his eyes that he wanted her there, then maybe, just maybe, she'd emerge from her hiding spot.

Finding a particularly thick plot of trees, Caroline hid herself behind the massive foliage. Then she waited for her prey to emerge.

* * *

Niklaus knew he was sinful. A murder. A killer. Yet when he walked up to see that Caroline's cabin was empty, he was shocked. Hope. For the first time maybe he could have something that was his and his alone. His whole life he'd been diminished to a lesser form of his brothers, not as noble as Elijah, not as calm as Finn, not as courageous as Kol; yet this one insignificant human girl had made all of that go away. Even though she had entirely rejected him, she still made the original hybrid feel whole.

He wasn't entirely sure of what he was going to do with Caroline, she was far too interesting to kill; however, she hadn't proven herself worthy of being a vampire. For now he would watch her, taunt her, play with her. This game of chase was far more fun than that which he'd tormented Katerina with. His obligation to himself to end Katherina's happiness was becoming all-consuming. He had no peace, and at the end of the day he cared nothing for the Petrova doppelgänger either way, he just would not be deemed the loser of any battle; that he could not stand for.

Eventually this little vacation would have to end, and Klaus would snatch Katerina from the Salvatores, and be on his way. _That is all this human is_, Klaus thought to himself, _a distraction_. The fact that her courage, strength, and light all stirred something in Klaus meant nothing. He came to Mystic Falls for the doppelgänger not a love story.

As he came upon their little rendezvous, Klaus was over come with a wave of confusion. She wasn't there. A part of him –the part he wanted to ignore— was disappointed. Then he smelled it; he smelled her. She smelled of spring and freedom all mixed into one tantalizing batch. He strode towards the sent and spotted her, hidden semi-decently behind some trees. Had he been human he never would've found the lovely Caroline, Klaus counted his blessings and made his way towards the hiding girl.

As he approached her Klaus was caught of guard. He'd expected her to run. Every time one of his targets (be they to kill, feed from, or otherwise) had realized they had been caught, they would run. But of course Ms. Forbes had to find a way to make him even more obsessed with her; for as he stalked over to her, she stepped out of the woods as gracefully as if it were her gold chariot.

Klaus froze. She was even more beautiful than she was yesterday. Her hair was down and natural, and her dress was much simpler, yet she was the prettiest he had ever seen her. By dressing in normal attire she had allowed her natural beauty to shine. He had seen more than his fair share of gorgeous women, all of them poetically different with deep rooted insecurities that Klaus could play like a well-tuned violin, each one of their faces faded way in a blur as every ounce of Niklaus's focus was on the lovely blonde before him. As Caroline approached him, she had a determined look in her eye, the look of a hunter.

In that moment, Klaus knew, he would not being letting her return to the cabin again.


	5. Taken

**Sent Away:** _Chapter Five_

The glass shattered into a thousand pieces.

For the second time in two months Bill Forbes found himself in his study with displeasing news from one Emily Bennett.

"What do you mean she _isn't_ _there_? Was that not the entire reason I allowed you to cast your little spell: to keep her safe? Were you not supposed to protect her from the evils of the world?" William demanded as he glared at the wall that was now dripping with what was once an expensive bourbon.

Emily was bored with the triviality that the man before her possessed. Was she trying to help the Forbes girl? Of course—Ms. Bennett did not trust vampires and would act as she saw fit to keep them from ruining an innocent. When she'd arrived at the cottage to make sure Caroline had been settled in properly and that the spells were working, Emily wasn't entirely shocked to find that the girl wasn't there, but after a few hours had passed it soon became apparent that Ms. Forbes would not be returning any time soon. Once Emily was back home she'd performed numerous spells to try to detect the young girl's presence, or to see if she was even alive, but every spell came up blank; telling her neither one way nor the other.

"The only conceivable explanation, _William_, is that the person that took her must have followed her there to begin with." Emily's voice was in an unwavering monotone, it was not because she did not care, but rather that she was trying to hide how worried she was. As far as she was concerned Lady Katherine and her friends were the only vampires in town, and none of those monsters would have been connected enough—or smart enough—to hide Caroline from a Bennett witch's spells.

"I have gone without my only child for _weeks, _and you_—_a seemingly impotent witch—are telling me that the person who I was trying to protect her from, followed her to the prison I created for her safety." It wasn't a question; there was no doubt in Bill's mind that the Bennett witch was right. His only wondering was whether she knew this would happen, after all, was it not this exact women before him who told him of the dreaded future that was to come?

Whether the Bennett witch knew or not, something had to be done; Bill would save his daughter, and rid this town of supernatural forever.

* * *

For the second time in her life Caroline woke up in a strange place with no recollection as to how she got there. The linens on the bed she was tucked in were of an extravagance that she was not accustomed to, and the room was large and well detailed. Beautiful paintings, the like of which she had never been seen before, hung from the walls. The one that hung above the headboard caught her eye. It was of a blonde girl in a light blue dress being swarmed by dark clouds, each one pulling at her and leading her astray. It made Caroline shiver, for some odd reason the girl reminded her of herself, but that couldn't be possible...

For the life of her she could not recall why she was here. The last thing she remembered was going for a walk in the woods and—

It hit her like a ton of bricks, the fear and desperation clouded her mind and made her heart thrash violently in her chest. Klaus. That incessant man had kidnapped her—stolen her—how could she have been so willfully ignorant as to have allowed herself to forget, if even for a moment? She was mindless, why had she let herself walk all the way to he middle of nowhere on the romantic idea of curiosity?

She ran to the only door in the room and tried to open it, only to find it was locked. She was a caged bird flying frantically_—_becoming more fearful every second_—_and was entirely unable to escape. Seeing the windows on the opposite side of the room she bolted over to peer down at the ground below. Only a drop from the second story, how bad could it be? Before she could fully open the window, the door behind her flew open with a loud bang.

"What do you think you are doing?" A heavily accented blonde said from behind her, albeit not the one that Caroline was expecting.

Caroline gave the girl a confused look. Who was this? Caroline debated on telling her the truth or not. She decided that in her impossible situation bravery (no matter how forced) was the only option.

"Leaving." Caroline said her voice dripping with defiance.

In a flash the blonde girl was behind Caroline, gripping her hands behind her back.

"I don't know why Nik finds you so compelling," the girl whispered in her ear, "but since he does, you will not leave this place until he is _done_ with you; unless you wish to leave in _pieces_." With that said, the blonde left Caroline to her own thoughts, letting her wallow in her own horrifying circumstances.

As the blonde walked down the hall away from the captive, she was completely miffed. What was so special about a weak little human? Her older brother cared for no one_—_especially not humans_—_it was Nik that taught her that the future of humans was unimportant, that they were, as a species, entirely subservient to the vampire race. Whatever Niklaus's prisoner had Rebekah was going to find out. After all, what kind of sister would she be if she didn't?

* * *

How easy it was to fall back into the everyday routine. As he made his way over to the vantage point from which he always observed Katarina, something hit him as off. The people in the house, their whole demeanor had seemed to change in the matter of a few days. When Katherine came out with one of the brothers in tow he noted that their relationship had definitely improved immensely. What could be the meaning of this? Sure, the doppelgänger was no prude and obviously had no problems working quickly, but he doubted that the human feelings of these boys could be so easy obtained in the matter of days, and it did not seem to him as though this one had been compelled.

Determined to find out, Niklaus set out for the town. As he pondered the oddness of the situation he realized that this inconsequential place might actually have some value behind it. When he came to the main part of the town he noticed that the weather seemed harsher than it was a few hours ago at the cabin; almost as though he'd spent more than just a couple of days watching Caroline…

That is when it dawned on him; Niklaus asked what day it was to the first man that he came across. The man's answer confirmed Nikalus's suspicion_—_nearly two months he'd been gone. Only a very strong witch could pull of such a powerful spell. All of a sudden the human blonde that he'd locked up in his home was becoming far more appealing. Not only had she approached him in the woods, was unwavering in her stance as though _he_ should fear her—had it not been for her all too telling eyes Niklaus would have believed her_—, _but had friends in powerful places. Thinking back on his little blonde distraction he knew that he would have to wait until the vervain was out of her system before getting any answers from her. Their time together seemed to stand in a world of it's own; he had tried to get her to come with him willingly, offering to show her the world, and although he could see the desire for a world of adventure within in her, she had managed to refuse temptation. No matter, Ms. Forbes would succumb to his charm soon enough, and then perhaps he would find out just what in God's name was going on.


	6. The Tiny Human

**Sent Away: Chapter 6**

"You love, have been holding out on me."

Caroline turned around to meet they eyes of the last person she wanted to see. After wallowing in self-pity and misery she felt numb to the world around her. What was the likelihood that they would ever let her go? Why was Klaus walking back into the room angry at her of all people? Who in the world was this Nik person that the blonde female had mentioned? And why did Caroline feel so infuriated by the presence of her captor when she should be terrified?

"Well I am sorry if your kidnapping me has brought you any great inconveniences." Caroline said as she turned back around to look out the window.

Niklaus growled. This human girl should be grateful that she is here in his temporary home rather than dead and in the ground. He flashed forward and pinned her to a nearby wall.

"Let us try this again, sweetheart," he said as she gasped at his sudden movements, "I am going to ask you a few questions and if you choose not to answer them, then you'll be the one who pays the consequences. Do you understand?" He spoke slowly as if talking to an insolent child.

Caroline was taken aback by the impropriety of the situation. She, an unmarried woman who still had her virtue in-tacked, was alone in a bedroom with a man whom, although he may be psychotic, was definitely attractive. If circumstances had been different her cheeks would have been flushed from embarrassment. Looking up to meet his eyes she realized he was in want of an answer; she nodded in agreement.

"What do you know of the reason that your father disposed of you?" Klaus asked, not bothering to afford her the much wanted need of personal space.

"My father was not _disposing_ of me," Caroline said in a voice she was hoping didn't sound as small as she felt, "he was trying to _protect_ me."

"And from what, may I ask, was he protecting you from?"

"Evil." Caroline replied, almost breaking from the heavy irony of the situation.

"What alliances has you family formed with the witches?" Klaus asked, deciding to cut straight to the point as he continued to interrogate the scared human girl in front of him.

Caroline was confused. Witches? Her mind went back to the stories her mother had told her as a child, the terrifying ones that traumatized her and gave her nightmares. Tales of witches, vampires, and beasts, that is all she could remember from the woman who gave birth to her, could the stories all be true?

Caroline shook her head, "No, its my turn now. What are you?" she asked gathering all that was left of her bravery.

Klaus was not amused, her independent nature was thrilling and at times fascinating, but definitely not something that he wanted to deal with at present. In the past few centuries that he had been leisurely chasing Katerina he'd learned she was very clever, something that Tatia had lacked greatly. Katerina could control all of her emotions, she'd do whatever it took to survive, a trait that Niklaus would find admirable had it not been so infuriating. Through Katherine's constant trickery he found that she could form strong alliances, he dubbed this to be because she and her allies had common enemies rather than because of any charm that the girl may possess. If there were any witch in that town powerful enough to create the spell that Klaus suspected was cast over the cabin, then she could pose a threat to him and his family, especially if she was aligned with _Katherine Pierce_.

Klaus pressed Caroline closer to the wall, "this is not a game you want to play sweet Caroline. Tell me, what do you know about the witches."

In that moment she lost it. Being kidnapped, supernaturals, it was all too much to take in for one day. So she broke, and she laughed. Human Caroline Forbes laughed at the more than likely homicidal creature in front of her.

Klaus was so shocked that he allowed Caroline to duck out of his hold, and she started to pace around the room.

"You realize this is crazy," she demanded, "Up until a few days ago I was a normal girl with normal friends, whose only problem was the mysterious new girl who was budding in on my time with the Salvatore brothers. But now I am being held against my will by someone—or something—who is telling me that not only do witches exist, but that my father, the most painstakingly boring person on the planet, has somehow managed to form an alliance with them?"

Klaus repositioned himself so that his back was resting against the wall. This girl was either really brave or really stupid, he wasn't quite sure which one yet. It was not suprising that she didn't know anything about what was outside the normal human mindset, but call him a wishful thinker for hoping he may have been able to acquire something useful out of her.

"Tell me, do you like the view from the window Caroline." Klaus asked.

"Yes." Caroline said, doubtful, not knowing where he was going with this.

"Does something seem a little off to you?" Klaus continued with his cryptic questions.

Caroline thought about it and looked out the window again. She had been doing a lot of that since she awoke in this place, and she had to admit that something in the back of her mind was alerting her to there being something wrong.

"Maybe.." Caroline said unsure of herself.

"Well love, since you are obviously not anywhere near having an epiphany allow me to enlighten you. The weather outside seems a little harsher, a littler colder, as though winter is fast approaching, would you not agree?"

"That's not possible the cabin was so warm so…" Caroline started. He was right—things did seem as though they were into the later part of the year, but that didn't make sense, there had to be some other explanation. "How far away are we from Mystic Falls?" Caroline asked.

"Not too far, but not close enough that you should conceive the silly notion of running away. No, the reason I ask of witches is because it appears as though our little stay in the woods was a lot longer than anticipated." Klaus said his voice conversational, which only infuriated his blonde companion.

"Spit it out Klaus." Caroline said her voice dripping with venom and annoyance.

"Whatever creature your father has under his belt appears to have some strong powers, for it is nearly two months later than when I had originally witnessed you being taken."

Caroline froze. He had no reason to lie to her yet, it didn't make sense. All the facts appeared to be lining up on his side of the story, which only frightened her more. If witches were real then any doubt that the man in the room with her was not human would dissolve, and that terrifying notion was something she was unsure if she could swallow at the moment.

Luckily she didn't have to respond to Klaus again for the same blonde woman that had pinned Caroline's hands behind her back earlier that day, was back again, and glaring right at Klaus.

"Nik, have you not had enough of torturing humans today, you promised to help me and I am not doing everything all by my lonesome."

Caroline filled with momentary relief, if Nik and Klaus were one in the same then she would have one less potential murderer to deal with.

"Fine Bekah, just allow me to lock up." And with that the two left Caroline alone in the room with nothing but a shattered sense of reality to keep her company.

* * *

"Klaus, you dragged me away from New Orleans for this? So you could taunt a tiny human?" Rebekah practically yelled once they were downstairs.

"That tiny human is mine for the time being Rebekah, and I would appreciate it if you stay out of my affairs. I've allowed your silly party, what more do you want from me?"

"It is not a party, it is a ball," Rebekah whined, "and I would like you to fulfill your promise of allowing me to make it a magical evening, but I don't see how _that_ is going to happen if you have a hostage upstairs."

Kluas laughed at his sister's childish tone, "don't be silly Bekah, Caroline will be attending the ball and I will make sure she is on her best behavior."

That put Rebekah into an absolute frenzy, and Niklaus couldn't think of anything more amusing at the moment. He hadn't planned on allowing Caroline to come to the dance, but now that he thought about it, it seemed like an excellent idea. Their time in the woods seemed so surreal, she was so guarded yet so bubbly. Perhaps the intensity he had felt was due to the spell slowing everything down, allowing him to see and feel in extreme detail, but whatever the case may be, Klaus was going to have Caroline for himself whatever the cost may be.


	7. Taking a Stroll

**Sent Away: Chapter 7**

There were not enough words in the English language to describe how frustrated Caroline felt. When she woke up the morning after her latest interaction with Klaus, she'd felts as if there was a large part of her that was going to explode. Sitting up on the bed, she attempted to acclimate to her surroundings, it was then that she noticed a note lying on the pillow next to her.

_Feel free to bathe in the room down the hall, everything that you should need has already accommodated for you. Hope you had lovely dreams, and have a wonderful morning._

_-Klaus._

Despite not wanting to accept any sort of gift from that man, Caroline had to admit that a proper bather was exactly what she needed at the moment, perhaps then she could finally collect her frantic thoughts.

Pulling herself out of the bed she went to the door surprised—despite what the note had said—to find it unlocked. The hallway was just as luxurious as her prison had been, covered with paintings that were each so lonely, sad, and beautiful, Klaus may be the devil in disguise but he had impeccable taste. Without much trial or error Caroline found the bathroom, and just as the note had told everything that she could possibly need was all ready for her, a new dress on the counter, soaps of every sort, and even the water had already been drawn.

Slipping out of the dress that she had been wearing for far too long, Caroline stepped into the water that was delightful warm. As she sunk into the tub her previous worries began to fade away, and the stress of the past few days began to disappear. After all, who could possible care about witches and other creatures when there was such a delightfully warm bath beckoning to them?

Lost in her own thought, Caroline almost didn't register the door opening. Luckily, she opened her eyes just in time to see that her privacy was about to be intruded upon, so she brought her knees up to cover her chest and glared at the audacity of the man who had come in to join her. How could Caroline have allowed herself to act so ignorant as to trust the man who had kidnapped her? How could she have thought that something like this would not happen, especially when she had put herself in such a vulnerable state?

"Get. Out." Caroline growled, not wanting to be anything but direct.

"Now love, you are hardly in a position to make demands." Klaus said as a smirk tugged at his lips.

Caroline sighed, knowing that he was right, "What do you want Klaus?" she asked, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible.

"Well, considering we never got to finish our little game yesterday, we still have many things that we need to discuss." Klaus said as his eyes tried to absorb every detail of the blonde woman before him.

"Now is hardly the time." Caroline spat out.

"Oh, I know love, I simply came in here to invite you to take a turn with me around the gardens. What do you say?" he asked, amused by the confusion that displayed on Caroline's features.

Before she could speak Klaus cut her off, "I would like to remind you that giving in to me is probably the best way for you to get rid of me, after all I must say that I quite enjoy the view and I would certainly not be likely to leave on my own accord."

Caroline simply nodded to signify that she agreed with his request, afraid that she may say something to worsen the predicament if she allowed herself to converse with the vile peeping-tom before her.

"Very good, I will have a servant come by your room in an hour." Klaus said with a slight smile on his face as he walked back out the way he came, but before he reached the door he looked behind him, "see you soon Sweet Caroline." Then he was gone.

It took Caroline a few moments to relax, but even once she did taking a bath in this house no longer seemed appealing. She quickly finished up and got dressed so that she could make it back to her room.

When she opened the door to her…quarters…the bed was made and everything was in order. If Caroline hadn't known better she would almost begin to think that she was a guest in this house and not a prisoner. As she went to sit down her thoughts drifted to Klaus, how could he be so terrifying and intoxicating? A part of her felt like he could kill her at any moment and that she should run for the hills, but a larger part of her felt like leaving him was the last thing that she would ever want to do.

Little did the human girl know that things were only going to grow far more complicated.

* * *

Katherine Pierce. That was her name now; Katerina had died when she stepped off that chair with a rope around her neck. As much as the doppelgänger may have wanted to believe that, the truth was there was still a part of her that longed to find a true love—yet another thing that Klaus Mikaelson had taken from her. Not only had he stolen her freedom, and tried to take her life, but taken from her the only man who loved her and wanted nothing from her in return: Elijah.

Katherine's mind was undoubtedly comparing the two men that she was currently playing with to the noble original. Damon had _his_ dark hair, and was so attentive, just as Elijah had been, but Stefan had something in his soul, something that made her feel like maybe there was a part of him that had lived before. Stefan was kind and caring, he put everyone he loved above himself, and that was exactly how Elijah was. Katherine sighed and turned over on her side, if only she could somehow combine the two brothers into one person then everything would be okay. Then again, if she did that she may as well just find a way to be with the real thing and not some copy.

There was a knock at the door, Katherine called for whoever it was to come in as she straightened her dress out in the process—no need to look improper. As she stood up from her bed, she greeted the man who came to the door, a vampire whom she had turned a while back and who would probably stake himself before let anything happen to her.

"What is it Nathaniel, don't you know it's rude to disrupt a lady who was deep in thought." Katherine said as she made her way over to him.

"Forgive me Ms. Pierce, but I believe I have some news regarding Niklaus that should be considered most dire in urgency." Nathaniel said lowering his eyes so that Katherine wouldn't lash out at him, he knew perhaps better than anyone how unwanted news of this particular original could affect the brunette beauty in front of him.

Within seconds Katherine had pinned him against the wall, Nathaniel should know better than to beat around the bush when it came to matters about Klaus.

"Tell me what you know, preferably before I rip you to shreds." Katherine growled.

"He is here, in Virginia, he was watching you, but left to follow some girl." He choked out as Katherine pushed her forearm against his throat harder as she grew even more impatient.

"What else do you now?" Katherine inquired almost completely cutting off his airway.

"He is staying in a town…" Nathaniel stopped since he had no air left with which to talk. As soon as Katherine released him he gasped like a fish out of water.

"He is staying in a town," he began again, "little under a day's journey from here. His sister Rebekah is with him and they seem as though they are throwing some sort of lavish celebration starting tomorrow evening. There is a blonde human residing in the home, and Niklaus seems to be quite taken with her, she could offer the perfect distraction for your get away, Miss. Pierce." Nathaniel said, hoping that Katherine would understand and could pry herself away from Mystic Falls.

However, a different thought entirely had entered Katherine's mind. For once in her life, maybe she could get the upper hand, and besides, what kind of girl could resist a good party?

* * *

Just as he had said, a servant came to her door to lead her to the gardens. After collecting as much of her dignity as she could manage she followed out to meet Klaus. He smiled when he saw her, she was radiant and for some reason Klaus almost regretted the way he had barged in on her this morning, it had not been his plan. He had simply been walking by when he heard her step into the tub, it was too much temptation for him to resist.

"Hello Love, I hope that you are not too upset with how a coaxed you to come out here."

Caroline knew that she should still be furious with him, but all she really felt was embarrassment. She said nothing and accepted the arm he held out to her.

After a few moments of silence, Caroline finally had the nerve to talk to him.

"So, you had something you wanted to talk to me about?" she asked.

"Yes, my sister—as infuriating as she may be—has decided to throw a ball tomorrow evening, and I would like you to accompany me." He said as though he were commenting on the weather and not completely distorting the view that Caroline had on what her life here was going to be like here.

"Why?" Caroline asked, stopping their walk so that she could look him square in the face.

"I fancy you." Klaus said, coming to the realization that what he was saying was entirely true. If it weren't for the fact that he had been blinded by her humanity he would have realized it sooner, and maybe not of played the games with her mind that he had partaken in earlier.

Caroline Scoffed at him, unsure what the proper response should be when your kidnapper tells you that he is interested in you…romantically.

"Despite the way things have gone as of late, I do wish you would give me a chance. Let me show you that there is more to me than an evil monster. Accompany me to the dance tomorrow evening." Klaus was practically begging.

"I have nothing to wear." Caroline said hoping he would take that excuse and drop the idea.

"If that is your only reservation then I will pick you up from your room at a quarter to six." Klaus smirked knowing that he was going to have his way.

"Fine." Caroline said, "But you have to answer me one question, and no one word answers."

"Anything, love." Klaus said still ecstatic from his victory.

Caroline had not expected for him to agree to her terms so quickly, and she racked her mind for the most nagging question. There were so many, how had he found her, why did he take her, what was with all the paintings, what was with that one painting that was hanging above her bed…Suddenly the most obvious of questions came into her mind.

"What are you?" She said hypnotized by the change in emotion on his face.

He offered her his arm again and they started to continue on their stroll.

"Well love, I am a hybrid…almost." Klaus replied.

"What do you mean almost a hybrid?" Caroline asked, completely confused by his answer.

"That is a long story, that has a lot of mythology, are you willing to hear it?" he asked.

Caroline nodded, "just give me the short version, I don't need any gory details."

"Alright then. About eight hundred years ago, my mother turned my siblings and I into vampires after the lost of her youngest child. After our transition, it soon became apparent that I was never really a true human, but rather a werewolf…" he trailed off making sure that his blonde companion was still paying attention.

"So, you are a werewolf and a vampire?" Caroline asked, trying to make sense of the words that he was telling her.

"Almost, you see my mother was a very powerful witch and she placed a curse on me, a curse that would prevent me from turning into my wolf self. Certain things that affect vampires don't affect me, but I am not truly a hybrid, yet." He explained.

"What do you mean by yet?" Caroline asked, completely drawn into the conversation with him, she hardly noticed that they had come full circle in the garden and were now heading towards the house.

"No curse is permanent, love. I will find a way to be a whole again." Klaus said just as much for her benefit as his own.

"I hope that you do, become whole again that is, I just don't know if this whole hybrid-curse thing is the way to do it." She confessed to him.

Klaus was dumbfounded, "what do you mean?"

"Well, we are truly happy not because of what we posses, but rather because we have people to care about." She said firmly, speaking with a certainty and maturity beyond her years.

Klaus chucked to hide how struck to the core by her observation he was.

"We shall see love, for now go up to your room. I will see you tomorrow." He took her hand in his and placed a kiss to her palm before backing away and leaving her alone with her thoughts.

As Caroline walked to her room-prison, she wondered at how quickly the world could change. Just this morning she was afraid that she may never see the light of day outside from the windows in her room, and now she was looking forward to attending a ball with a man that she had to keep consciously reminding herself was a monster.

So many things lay ahead, and if what Klaus said was true, if he really did fancy her, then the journey she was about to embark on was undeniably going to bring her nothing but heartache—yet she couldn't seem to wipe the smile off her face, "until tomorrow Klaus," she said to herself, and entered her room.


End file.
